In South Central Wisconsin in the '60s and '70s, "pop" was the usual word. I remember hearing "soda" sometimes, but it was definitely the minority word.

I tend to say "Coke," which I picked up during my time in North Carolina.

Ha! I like msbelle's answer. Took me a second... why is sending stuff to the moon blasphemous?

Also, question, why is it taking 3 1/2 months to get there? What's the advantage? I assume there is one. I am so lazy, I just skimmed and came back here with my questions rather than trying to figure it out. Pathetic.

Also, my hair dye is setting at the moment. I think... it may be scarily and ridiculously red. Oh well! I'll just have to fix it to something normal before I join the ship, if it turns out that outrageous. Although, really, as long as it is somewhere within the realm of natural hair color, I don't think they'd have a problem with it. I just think they don't want me to turn up with my hair dyed bright green or something.

"...or by a comma when the feelings not as strong..."

The g.d. baby boomers refuse to retire.

It's an issue, I think, because of the stock market crash. A lot of my olds can't afford to retire, and some really would like to. They're trying to get back what they lost. And it's unsettling in science/tech, because we do need young post-docs to come in. We sort of depend on the passing on of knowledge to new generations of scientists. It's worrisome.

The g.d. baby boomers refuse to retire.

Tell me about it. I'm the youngest professional woman in the office, if you don't count the contractors. And I so want My Nemesis to retire, but she won't until her daughter's out of college (and probably not then).

I am singing Schoolhouse Rock in my head as we speak. "Interjection! Excitement! And Emotion!"

Hah! Me too! "Interjections! Show excitement, or emotion! And are generally set apart from a sentence by an exclamation point, or by a comma if the feeling's not as strong..."

I hope I'm not slinging paperwork when I'm 65. I wish I could work in education or public affairs. I'm just not the right type or am missing some integral skillset I can't put my finger on.

People not retiring, or retire-rehiring, is a huge issue at the EPA. Where mr. flea worked, he was very young, at 42! They closed the child care center because no employees except us and one other family had small children.

I have gray hair, and it's fine color-wise, but it's so curly and stands up and it's been coming in this way for 5 years now and I still don't know how to deal with it.

It's an issue, I think, because of the stock market crash.

Oh, absolutely. The combination of actual financial need and good health, etc. My mother (66) keeps saying she doesn't know what she would do, since she has no hobbies.